FOXNews.com
Obama fires Inspector General for political reasons
An official responsible for monitoring how federal funds for volunteerism are spent told FOX News he was fired by President Obama for doing his job,and suggested it was payback for investigating the alleged misuse of grant money by the Sacramento mayor,an Obama backer.
Gerald Walpin,who until last week was the chief internal watchdog for AmericCorps and other service programs,suggested “political pressure”was behind his ouster. He said he worried the action will have a “chilling effect”on other inspectors general. Obama gave little explanation for the decision,writing in a letter sent Thursday that he no longer had the “fullest confidence”in Walpin.
The president’s decision followed Walpin’s investigation into the alleged misuse of federal grants by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson,a former NBA star and an Obama supporter who heads a nonprofit education group.
“I am the victim of being fired because I was doing my job and doing it properly,”Walpin told FOX News Tuesday.